The Football Association (FA) has issued an apology to Muslim footballer Iqra Ismail after she was barred from participating in a league match due to her decision to wear tracksuit bottoms instead of shorts, in line with her religious beliefs.
Pioneering footballer and coach Iqra Ismail was scheduled to enter the game as a halftime substitute for United Dragons in a Greater London Women’s Football League match against Tower Hamlets FC.
In a video posted to social media, Ismail mentioned that the Greater London Women’s Football League had stopped her from playing because of her religious beliefs because she refused to wear shorts with my playing kit.
She added that she had been playing in the league for almost five years now, wearing tracksuit bottoms, and each year it was made increasingly difficult for women like her to play.
The FA has since apologized to Ismail and informed her that she will be allowed to wear tracksuit bottoms the next time she plays.
A statement from the Middlesex FA spokesperson was issued, saying,
We are aware of this matter and we are in contact with The FA and the League concerned to ensure that it is quickly resolved. Guidance from the FA was issued to all County FAs and match officials across the women’s grassroots game earlier this year to confirm that women and girls should be allowed to wear clothing that ensures their faith or religious beliefs are not compromised. We are working with all our stakeholders to ensure they can apply this guidance effectively and remain deeply committed to ensuring that English football is an inclusive and welcoming environment for everybody.
At the start of the year, match officials received guidelines on handling offenses related to religious head coverings. This followed concerns raised by former referee Jarnail Singh about an incident in early January, where a Sikh-Punjabi footballer’s patka was pulled by an opponent during a Spartan South Midlands League game.